ontheroadwithja
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Re: New Gander Mountain/Overton Benefit. Good? Bad? Indifferent?
dewey02 wrote: ontheroadwithjake wrote: And Holiday Gas stations are never the lowest priced and in fact are often higher than the competition in may markets. This is their basic strategy and it carried over to Gander. Holiday Station Stores are always have competitively priced gas in our area. They are almost always equal with, and sometimes below the cost of all the area competitors. And for the last year, they have a flyer in the local paper about every 2 weeks with coupons for 10 cents off gas, a gallon of milk for $1.99, 1/2 gallon of OJ for $1.99, and a dozen eggs for 69 cents. So they are WAY cheaper than any other gas or convenience store if you use their coupons. And while their gas station stores have evolved to become more of a typical "quick market" type store over the last decade, they originally were much more of a sportsman's quickstop store back in the day. They had fishing equipment, bait, outdoor apparel (felt-pack boots, gloves, etc.) It wasn't like going to a big sporting goods store, but they were definitely catering to the outdoor crowd. So it didn't seem to be that much of a jump for them to get into the outdoor sporting goods business. That said, I don't think Gander Mountain was a very good or competitive store. It was sort of like the K-Mart of the outdoor sports stores. Locally owned and run outdoor sports stores catered better to a niche crowd, and the big boys (Cabelas, Bass Pro) catered to mass market. I did say in "many" markets. and in fact it is written policy at Holiday that they will never be the cheapest station or lower the price first. Second ALL station prices are posted electronically from the main office. Each station manager has to report AT least once a day a survey of prices of stations near him, chosen by Holiday. There are very few franchise stores left and the one near you may be one of those thus being more competitive. The stations I see all around the country are priced up their with the more expensive ones.0Views0likes0CommentsRe: Why Is It That...
beemerphile1 wrote: ontheroadwithjake wrote: ...the search engine of this site which I have used extensively despite my "newness" here is abominably bad.... I see this statement regularly but it is wrong. The search function here is great once you learn to use it. You must go into "Advanced Search" and set your own parameters. The results using the default parameters are far too limiting. You have just made my point. I can use "OK Google" on my phone for the most obscure and detailed information and get back precisely what I was looking for in 2 seconds or less BY VOICE COMMAND. Then it should be obvious that the search engine in this site is far far far behind any other and almost never can find even GENERAL topics or Specific posts without resorting to the methods you describe. Which should NOT be necessary. No I am sorry this search engine is not ready for prime time for sure.620Views0likes0CommentsRe: Spun motor home on I5
Cloud Dancer wrote: "It does not matter how prepared you think you are it will still surprise you." * In order to be helpful, the above statement needs to be quantified. If a blown front tire surprises you and startles you to the point that it "freezes" your brain such that you do nothing,....it means that you need some training and some way of staying focused on your responsibility as a driver. There's things you can do to train yourself, even as you drive down the highway. Don't lollygag, talk to yourself constantly (keep asking yourself what you would do when a front tire blows out). As a retired high-time commercial pilot, and ex-racecar driver, I have no problem staying ready to instantly properly respond to any emergency. My biggest enemy is complacency. The above is exactly right. Here is a way to think about being prepared: Aim High (Ie look FAR down the road ahead of you) Kepp Your Eyes and Head Moving (check mirrors often dont "STARE" down the road) Get the Big Picture (know whats going on ALL around you dont get focused on one thing or hypnotized) Leave yourself an out (Always leave yourself an escape route if something should happen) Always be Prepared to Yield (Never push a situation..give way even if they are wrong) Make sure others see You (Get eye contact with other drivers try to understand their intentions..get them to notice you) Drive in a way that you control the outcome (self explanatory) These concepts are taught in professional driving courses for Tractor trailers, buses and other vehicles and while the terminology may differ the ideas are constant. They can be done and those that practice them stay out of trouble.590Views0likes0CommentsRe: How Many Miles
2gypsies wrote: fulltimedaniel wrote: But this is off topic strictly speaking and we should return to the real subject about why the OP couldn't find the mileage to the Alaska Border even though he/she had access to the internet. Why dwell on this issue? The 'real subject' of the post was how many miles? All he wanted was a number answer. :S There are hundreds of questions asked on these forums each day that could be looked up. We all answer them to be helpful. Let's move on. I think the poster was just trying to steer the thread back to the topic. Your head smacking emoticon seems a bit needless. And yes there seems to be a lot of questions posed that could just be answered but rarely are they this laughably simplistic...thus the thread. And in the time it took for the OP to post the question he could have gotten the answer from Google maps via the same computer or his/her cell phone.635Views0likes0CommentsRe: Why Is It That...
Grit dog wrote: time2roll wrote: Because people start a new thread and ask the same question. Get the same answers. Anyone know the definition of insanity of doing the same thing over and over expecting different results? If they would look even a little, read an existing thread, add some intelligent thoughts on what they need we could easily have a tire thread that goes longer and deeper than the gas vs diesel. Trouble is getting the new members to do that. Eggzactly. Besides there are people who can't check their own oil, drove a Honda Civic thier whole life going out and buying duallies and 5vers with zero knowledge or prior experience on how to operate, outfit or maintain anything larger than a......civic. Brings out a lot of tire threads! I'm not out to exclude those that aren't mechanically inclined from these activities, it is just a lot to process if a person is getting up in years and tries something foreign to them. Old dog, new tricks comes to mind. I respectfully disagree. Too often old threads are just that OLD information. Our technology in almost everything moves very quickly even in tires. Reading a bunch of dated information will not serve you well. By asking questions we at least have the chance of turning up a new opinion, some unspoken advice and new information. In addition the search engine of this site which I have used extensively despite my "newness" here is abominably bad. We need new information, opinions and experiences from new members as well as those old keyboard warriors.443Views0likes0CommentsRe: New Gander Mountain/Overton Benefit. Good? Bad? Indifferent?
DryCreek wrote: Well, regionally there is a lot of competition here. Both Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's (now merged) have better prices, better selection and bigger stores. I can see why they failed here in Texas. I just can't believe how much higher their ammunition and firearms prices are compared to the competition. Even their outdoorsy-type stuff is much higher than their competition. A coworker has described Gander Mountain as "an overpriced Academy". Maybe Lemonis can turn them around. If he does, and that adds one more spot welcoming overnight RVer's, well then that is a bonus for us all. Gander Mountain was owned by the same company that owns Holiday Station Stores. This is a "Family" read dictatorial run company whose head at my last reading was in his 90's. While a younger generation is in charge of day to day operations. This store was always a misfit for this company. And Holiday Gas stations are never the lowest priced and in fact are often higher than the competition in may markets. This is their basic strategy and it carried over to Gander. The sale was long overdue for sure. The store is mostly regional or too scattered and facing tough competition. It is a perfect fit for GSE. This sale makes perfect sense from a business perspective I think. Whether GSE can make Gander a real competitor or not remains to be seen.0Views0likes0Comments
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